The Director General of the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), Mr. Edwin W. Harris Jr., has praised the competence and competitiveness of Liberians, describing his leadership role at the regional body as proof that Liberians can excel on the global stage.
Speaking with Liberian journalists in Dakar, Senegal last week on the sideline of GIABA’s 2024 Annual Report during its Annual Briefing Session with ECOWAS Ambassadors, development partners, and the media, Harris said overseeing GIABA’s operations across 17 West African countries in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing is both a challenge and an inspiration for the younger generation back home.
He acknowledged that managing a workforce drawn from 17 countries with different languages, French, English, and Portuguese, and diverse cultures is demanding. However, he credited strong leadership, interpersonal skills, and competence for transforming GIABA from what he called a “distressed institution” into one of the strongest Financial Action Task Force-Style Regional Bodies (FSROBs) worldwide. He cited the body’s recent nomination to serve on the FATF board for one year as a clear sign of its rising global profile.
He also highlighted GIABA’s cooperation with Liberia’s Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA), noting that while the institution is not exactly where he left it, progress has been made.
He revealed that Liberia has benefited from tailored support, including expanded training opportunities, hosting between five to ten Liberians at a time, compared to the usual two or three, as well as direct financial assistance.
He further disclosed that Monrovia will host two major GIABA events this November: the 44th GIABA Plenary, expected to bring together over 250 experts with an investment of more than US$600,000, and the organization’s 25th-anniversary celebration.
Reflecting on his personal journey, the GIABA boss recounted his career progression from County Coordinator at the National Elections Commission in 2005, to Program Assistant with the National Democratic Institute (NDI), Director for Government Affairs at the General Auditing Commission (GAC), founder of his own nonprofit, and later Head of Liberia’s FIA.
As head of the FIA, he introduced several groundbreaking initiatives, including annual briefings for ECOWAS ambassadors in Dakar, the production and distribution of annual reports, and the engagement of journalists across the region to enhance reporting and build a comprehensive database.
The GIABA boss said one of his proudest achievements has been recruiting three Liberians, two men and one woman, into GIABA’s workforce, noting that when he assumed office, there were no Liberians on staff. He expressed pride in their competence and assured them they would remain employed until retirement age.
“Liberians are competitive,” he declared, stressing that professional achievement is rooted in building a strong curriculum vitae rather than seeking quick financial gains.
He extended gratitude to colleagues for their support throughout his career. Closing his remarks,Harris urged Liberia to improve governance, intensify the fight against financial crimes, and ensure that “crime does not pay,” drawing an analogy with strict drunk-driving laws in Boston compared to more lenient systems elsewhere
